When can you hang your readers off a cliff?
Oh, the infamous cliff hanger. It causes angst. It's a source of excitement and anticipation. It sends people flocking to retailers to pre-order resolution. But for those who don't appreciate being left dangling from a literary ledge - it can incite unbridled rage and hatred. "How could the author do that? Has she no creativity at all? Must she resort to such cheap parlor tricks to get me to read her next book?"
No author wants their readers screaming foul when finished with their novel (at least, none that I've heard of). But sometimes leaving the story before it's truly finished IS the best way to end it. In a well thoughtout series, I would argue that it's critical. There is a big picture - the all-consuming conflict - that drives the entire purpose behind the story. It needs to hang together. If your resolve it in your first book, what's the point of the second or third?
My series - The Causal Enchantment - has that all-consuming conflict. Oh, does it ever. Whether it's evident to those who have read Anathema or not, I don't know. Not likely. But I couldn't possibly have ended it in any other way. I just couldn't. I considered it. In the spirit of not angering my readers, I tossed around a few options. But in the end, it felt like I was asking a nun to ride one of those bucking bull contraptions. Awkward, inappropriate, and downright hazardous to the series.
Personally, I don't mind cliff hangers at all. I love the adrenaline rush of knowing the story isn't over. I love the feeling of cracking open that much-anticipated book. What don't I like? When the author has no intention of pulling her reader to safety. To closure. (i.e. it's a standalone book). Also, I absolutely abhor the words, "to be continued." It's like ripping a book in half and tossing the first piece to some poor sucker to toil over.
For those of you who read Anathema, I'm not trying to drive you crazy. I have a plan. A wickedly entertaining plan.
Trust me.
No author wants their readers screaming foul when finished with their novel (at least, none that I've heard of). But sometimes leaving the story before it's truly finished IS the best way to end it. In a well thoughtout series, I would argue that it's critical. There is a big picture - the all-consuming conflict - that drives the entire purpose behind the story. It needs to hang together. If your resolve it in your first book, what's the point of the second or third?
My series - The Causal Enchantment - has that all-consuming conflict. Oh, does it ever. Whether it's evident to those who have read Anathema or not, I don't know. Not likely. But I couldn't possibly have ended it in any other way. I just couldn't. I considered it. In the spirit of not angering my readers, I tossed around a few options. But in the end, it felt like I was asking a nun to ride one of those bucking bull contraptions. Awkward, inappropriate, and downright hazardous to the series.
Personally, I don't mind cliff hangers at all. I love the adrenaline rush of knowing the story isn't over. I love the feeling of cracking open that much-anticipated book. What don't I like? When the author has no intention of pulling her reader to safety. To closure. (i.e. it's a standalone book). Also, I absolutely abhor the words, "to be continued." It's like ripping a book in half and tossing the first piece to some poor sucker to toil over.
For those of you who read Anathema, I'm not trying to drive you crazy. I have a plan. A wickedly entertaining plan.
Trust me.
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